The Santa Carla Experience
by BlondeSinger101
Summary: Told from Star's point of view, all the way back to when the boys were only 13, and Laddie only three. A story of their past, and growing into the gang we know.


Chapter 1

I was nearly running, trying to keep up with the rest of the boys. David had told me that I couldn't lose them; I was the angel on their shoulder for the rest of the night. He had some business to take care of with Max. Laddie was in my arms, and shouting and pointing at every shiny object we passed, which on the boardwalk, is a lot. Well, that's how you are when you are three. I was thirteen years old, and had no idea where I was going in life. All I knew is that I was madly in love with a blonde named David Black. The only other thing I knew is that David was madly in love with two young boys named Marco and Paul. They were abandoned by their parents, and head bangers to the full extent. They followed David around like he was a god. I followed him because I was in love. Or at least as in love as you can be at thirteen. Laddie, I had found one night down at the boardwalk, lost and without help. So I took care of him. He was a cute baby, and I grew attached. We knew he was Laddie. He had a missing alert. We aren't bad though, we did call the number……it's just nobody answered. Aerosmith's "Sweet Emotion" boomed out over the loudspeakers as I rushed down after the energy crazed boys. I got thrown off into a wall by something on my right. I hugged Laddie closer and swerved around, my heart beating way too quickly. I was a nervous girl. I lived in Santa Carla; I had a right to be. A tall, tanned, Surfer Nazi pinned me up, causing me to let down Laddie.

"Laddie, stay here baby." I called down, hoping he wouldn't be distracted by the really shiny earring stand close by. The surfer looked down disgustingly at the baby boy.

"Hungry!" Laddie screamed impatiently. The surfer pushed me harder against the wall. I gasped, as all of the air was blow out of my windpipes.

"We are going to have a fine time tonight. You ready?" he smirked at me. I gasped again, searching desperately for a friendly face in the crowd. Someone who would stop this monster. I could already smell the alcohol from this tanned gang member. I was being gagged, and nobody was helping me. Laddie began to wander off, looking for food most likely. Just then the Surfer Nazi was thrown from the wall and slid across the ground, into the center of the walking space. Angry people kicked at him to get up. I breathed in deeply. Looking up, I saw the hand of a tall, dark, handsome boy, about fourteen years old. He had scraggy black hair, and huge brown eyes. I took his hand cautiously, and allowed him to help me up.

"You are ok?" he asked softly. I was speechless. I had finally found my guardian angel. He chuckled nervously. "Hungry?" he asked.

"Oh yeah thanks, my boy..?" I said quietly turning my head towards the three year old trying to grab a pizza out of some kid's hand. He smiled, and nodded. I ran over and grabbed Laddie and put him on my hip, holding him close. The boy took my other hand and began to walk down the boardwalk. I was in some dream land, I know, because I had completely forgotten about David and his boys. We took a seat in the outside section of some hamburger joint. I nibbled on some fries as the boy told me about himself. His name was Dwayne, and he lived here on the boardwalk. He talked to me about his family that abandoned him and his sister that died from cancer a year ago. I stayed quiet, listening attentively and feeding fries to Laddie. Dwayne looked up into my eyes. I couldn't imagine how bold this guy was. For fourteen he sure knew how to charm a girl. But something in the crowd had caught my eye. A long black, leather trench coat had swooped past our table. I prayed for him not to notice, but it was too late, I knew, as I heard Laddie's excited cry, scream for David. The blonde turned around and came over to the table. He looked at me, and glared at Dwayne. My poor angel was caught in David's power struggle. I stood up quickly and moved over to the intimidating thirteen year old. I took his hand softly. Dwayne stood up, unaware of the situation. David swiftly turned and began to stride down the boardwalk, dragging Laddie and me along with him. But Dwayne wasn't about to let him go so easy. He followed us all the way to the beach. David let go of my hand and followed Dwayne to the center of the beach. I sat down quickly squeezing Laddie's hand. Dwayne gave me a quick smile and got smashed in the face by David. Dwayne then whipped around just to get smashed again on the other side of his face. Dwayne threw a pathetic swing at David, who dogged it and smirked at me. I frowned. My sweet angel and my headstrong love. Dwayne was two inches taller then David, but David was strong and intimidating. Dwayne threw a harder punch and knocked David's smirk right off of his face. Laddie tried to stumble over to David, but I just held him closer. David came up an inch away from Dwayne, and Dwayne stepped back nervously. The dark haired native looked back at me frowning, and I got up.

"STOP! STOP IT RIGHT NOW DON'T YOU DARE THROUGH ANOTHER PUNCH!" I yelled at the two boys. David looked at me confused, Dwayne thankful. David began to walk towards me, when the angel turned and slammed his hand into the side of David's face. David looked at Dwayne like a deer in headlights. Dwayne threw another punch while David was still in shock. Then David's astounded look turned into a very angry glare. He punched Dwayne hard, and then when Dwayne stumbled to his knees, kicked him in the face, then in the chest again as he fell backwards. I cried out, and screamed at David to stop. I could see Dwayne's chest moving up and down very slowly. David smirked then backed away nervously, coming back up towards the beginning of the boardwalk where Laddie and I were seated. He took my hand, when I noticed some dark blood on the edge of his thumb and palm. I frowned deeply, and followed David quickly, only looking back once at the teenager unconscious on the beach.

We strode through the beach looking for the young boys who David called his "Lost Boys". While we were walking, some small kid ran threw us, breaking apart our hands. Before he could get away David grabbed his collar and dragged him back in front of us, turning him to face us. He was the cutest kid of about five or six, with lots of thick brown hair flapping over his eyes, and a devil-may-care smile plastered across his dimpled face. His smile quickly turned to an open mouthed gasp when he saw David. Kicking his legs and arms as fast as humanly possible, he managed to get out of David's grip, running away while David yelled after him to watch where he was running. David smirked, and we began to walk once more down the boardwalk. We got to the concert stage where "1979" by Smashing Pumpkins was booming out. I love this song, and put my head on David's shoulder, as we found a grassy place to sit. The boys were somewhere around he, we would find them, but we wanted to listen for now. He grabbed my hand with his own. I smiled and put Laddie on my lap. People passing looked confused at the love struck middle school kids and the baby. Most people just shook their heads sadly. David would laugh when that happened, and I would laugh for how happy I was, and then Laddie would laugh just because we were. These were the moments that I knew Santa Carla wasn't just my home, but an experience that I will never regret having. David rested his head on mine, and we sat in silence listening to the band, and stroked Laddie on the head. Laddie fell asleep almost instantly. Our romantic moment was broken up as The Lost Boys came and grabbed us by the shoulders laughing manically. David frowned and stood up. I picked up Laddie, and came up to meet the boys. Marco was short with curly blonde hair and an always smiling baby face. Paul was a rock star wannabe with long dirty blonde hair and a cocky attitude.

"You lost us!" Marco said, chuckling.

"Yeah, we had to use the little devil on our shoulder. We had NO conscious. It was sweet!" Paul added bouncily. David smiled and we began to walk down the boardwalk, heading back to the cave that we had so often taken home in. We stepped inside after about a twenty minute long walk. The cave was huge, and plastered with Jim Morrison posters. An old hotel had falling into the crack of Santa Carla after an earthquake, when David claimed it as his own. Paul grabbed a "rock box" from beside my bed, and turned on "Plush" by Stone Temple Pilots. Marco and him sang along completely off key, as I put Laddie into bed, and sat down next to David on the no longer working fountain. He smiled down at me, and kissed me lightly on the lips. I blushed and looked back towards the two boys, who were bouncing around on beds and yelling the STP lyrics at the top of their voices. David smirked, and I felt the experience.


End file.
